Chapman closes out Reds' victory over Yankees

May 20, 2012|Reuters

The Sports Xchange

Chapman closes out Reds' victory over Yankees

NEW YORK -- Aroldis Chapman got his first opportunity as the Cincinnati Reds' new closer and earned his first save of the season Sunday as the Reds finished off a comeback win over the New York Yankees.

Slumping Ryan Ludwick broke out with three hits, a home run and three RBI, and Ryan Hanigan also homered for the Reds, who rallied to beat the Yankees 5-2.

"Yeah, I'm happy. I'm really happy," Chapman said through a translator. He added he felt no difference pitching in the ninth vs. the eighth inning. "I feel the same, the way I've been doing it. ... All that was in my mind that inning was to get the outs."

Cincinnati scored five runs in the seventh and ninth to claim the win after aces CC Sabathia and Johnny Cueto dueled through the first five scoreless innings.

The victory finished off a seven-game road trip, which ended with the Reds going 4-1 in New York against the Mets and Yankees.

The Yankees had broken through to take a 2-0 lead off winning pitcher Cueto (5-1) in the sixth on a two-run homer by Raul Ibanez. Ibanez finished the series 5-for-12 with two homers and five RBI.

But other than that, the Yankees' offensive woes continued, as they've lost five of their last six, and have six hits in their last 58 at-bats with runners in scoring position.

That was less of an issue in their final three innings, when the Yankees got only one runner past first base, allowing the three runs scored in the seventh against losing pitcher Sabathia (5-2) to stand up for Cincinnati.

"He still only gave up three runs," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said of Sabathia, who fell to 5-2. "The bottom line is, we didn't score a lot of runs again."

After Ludwick and Hanigan homered to tie the game, the Reds eventually took a 3-2 lead on a bases-loaded walk by Brandon Phillips.

"I think I tried to overthrow," said Sabathia, who didn't allow a hit until the fifth and gave up six hits while walking six in his seven innings. "Tried to do too much. ... I feel like I let the team down. These guys have been scratching and clawing."

The Reds added two runs on Ludwick's double off Rafael Soriano in the ninth past a diving Dewayne Wise in left.

Before the game, Reds manager Dusty Baker said Chapman was his "No. 1 candidate" to become the closer, replacing Sean Marshall, who allowed two runs on four hits in the ninth inning of Saturday's win.

But Baker said he wouldn't use Chapman on Sunday because the pitcher had thrown Saturday and three out of the past four days, and had not been successful when pitching too frequently in the past.

That changed shortly before the game, when Baker said he checked in with Chapman, who told him he would be fine to pitch.

So, after Curtis Granderson led off the Yankees' eighth with a single, Baker went to the lefty Marshall, who struck out Robinson Cano. He then used righty Logan Ondrusek, who got Alex Rodriguez on a deep fly to left and Ibanez on a pop up to short.

Even after the Reds opened up a 5-2 lead in the ninth, Chapman came on to pitch a scoreless ninth.

"It never went through my mind the fact that I was pitching the days before," Chapman said through the translator.

Cueto eventually outlasted Sabathia, throwing seven innings of two-run, eight-hit ball while striking out five and walking two.

"We were battling all game long," Cueto said through a translator. "He's the No. 1 guy, I'm the No. 1 guy here, too. We both wanted to work hard ... At the end, I got it done."

The Reds finally broke out in the seventh, thanks to the homers by Ludwick and Hanigan and a lot of help from the Yankees ace, who uncharacteristically lost his command.

With two outs and a runner on first, Sabathia walked No. 2 hitter Drew Stubbs, then walked Joey Votto to load the bases.

Sabathia got ahead of cleanup hitter Phillips 1-2, but eventually walked him to force in a run and give the Reds a 3-2 lead after a questionable 2-2 pitch was called a ball.

"... Three walks in a row is unacceptable. ... I just blew it," Sabathia said. "Didn't make the pitches I needed to."

Sabathia dominated the Reds early, holding them hitless until Todd Frazier singled with one out in the fifth. Cueto matched him on the scoreboard as the pitchers each threw shutout ball for the first five innings. Cueto's defense helped him in the third, as Phillips turned a nifty double play, fielding Derek Jeter's grounder up the middle, before tagging second with his glove and throwing from his knees to first baseman Votto. Votto then finished the play by catching the errant throw and tagging Jeter.

NOTES: Yankees first baseman Mark Teixeira was out of the lineup for the third straight game Sunday as manager Joe Girardi hoped the extended time off would help the persistent bronchial cough that has plagued him for most of the season. Eric Chavez played first in Teixeira's place, but Teixeira pinch-hit for him in the ninth. Girardi said after the game he hoped to start Teixeira on Monday. ... Outfielder Brett Gardner (strained right elbow) was scheduled to see team doctors Sunday, but he will not be able to swing a bat until at least Thursday, Girardi said. ... Reds shortstop Zack Cozart, who entered the game 1-for-26, returned to the lineup after a day off, but was dropped to ninth from the leadoff spot.